Ukrainian minister says Kyiv views expansion of defense sector in 2024 by 6-fold

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Ukrainian Strategic Industries Minister Oleksandr Kamyshin said on Sunday that his country sees a potential for a six-fold expansion of its defense sector this year.

“Last year, our defense industry delivered three times more products than in 2022. The capacity for 2024 is six times higher than last year,” Kamyshin said during a forum titled Ukraine: Year 2024 held in the country’s capital Kyiv.

Expressing that about half of these capabilities are already contracted for this year, Kamyshin said they are working on further contracting together with the country's Defense Ministry and its Defense Forces.

Kamyshin further said that more than 500 enterprises currently operate in Ukraine’s defense sector, where Ukrainian manufacturers significantly increased the output of artillery ammunition by the end of last year and are now specializing in new products in the sector.

"It is worth noting that no matter how much we increase this type of production in Ukraine, the need of our forces for artillery is greater than our capabilities and those of the US and the EU combined," Kamyshin went on to say.

He also said Ukraine launched the production of long-range weapons, adding that some of these capabilities would soon be delivered to the country’s front line.

The forum is also attended by top Ukrainian officials, including Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Economic Development and Trade Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, and Ruslan Stefanchuk, the head of the Ukrainian parliament.